New York Mets fans despondent as David Peterson rocked again in blowout loss to Washington Nationals: "One of the worst pitchers in the league" 

David Peterson is fast becoming the poster boy for the New York Mets wayward season. The starter was rocked by the Washington Nationals Monday afternoon to the tune of nine hits and six earned runs over just five innings.

Washington went on to win the game handily, 10-3, as the Mets defense and hitting followed Peterson's pitiful lead.

The New York Mets were expecting, if not great, then at least solid, performances out of David Peterson this season after he went 7-5 with a 3.83 ERA in 2022. He was a swingman in the Mets pitching staff last year, starting 19 games and relieving in nine.

However, 2023 has played out even worse than his 2-6, 5.54 ERA effort over 15 starts in 2021.

With Monday's shellacking, David Peterson's ERA soared from a stratospheric 7.68 to a low-earth orbit level of 8.08.

It's been quite a fall from grace after he allowed just one earned run over five innings as the New York Mets lost 2-1 to the Miami Marlins on March 31.

Monday's start was the third time in eight starts that Peterson has allowed six or more earned runs in a start. He has pitched six innings in a start just once, but also gave up six earned runs on that day, an 8-6 defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 17.

David Peterson was a first-round pick, 20th overall, of the New York Mets in the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft. He pitched 56 minor-league games, logging a 12-20 record with a 3.81 ERA from Single-A through Triple-A before making his big-league debut in 2020.

In 2020, Peterson pitched in 10 games, making nine starts. He went 6-2 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 49-2/3 innings. He's balanced an awful season with a good season over his three-plus major league campaigns so far.

David Peterson is far from the New York Mets' only problem

Pete Alonso #20 and Brett Baty #22 of the New York Mets celebrate after Alonso hit a home run

If David Peterson was the only problem the Mets had, he might be easily dealt with. However, Peterson's poor showing this year is just one of the many ways that the Mets' season has gone sour.

The Mets have been sour in all facets of the game. New York has not had a home run since May 10, when first baseman Pete Alonso hit a homer against the Cincinnati Reds.